vacuum sealers?

[hoodat]

I'm going to have a lot of rabbits to send to cold camp soon so I thought I'd get a vacuum sealer in hopes I could keep the meat fresh longer. I understand they are prone to breakdown. Anyone have any recommendations or personal experiences with them?

 

[gardentoad]

I'm going to have a lot of rabbits to send to cold camp soon so I thought I'd get a vacuum sealer in hopes I could keep the meat fresh longer. I understand they are prone to breakdown. Anyone have any recommendations or personal experiences with them?

Yes we have one and love it, we also have the jar lid attachment, the down side is that the bags cost alot, we get the rolls from wallie world which helps some, we have had rabbit that was froze for a year, and it was great..


Don

 

[peteyfoozer]

I love my vacuum sealer. I use it for LOTs of stuff. I bought the jar sealer (use it to put lettuce up, it lasts for a month this way) and mine also has a marinating feature that works amazingly well! Never had any breakdown problems with either of mine. I had to lose a hose from my old one before I could upgrade because it wouldn't break!
Mine is a foodsaver..i got it online for half price at the website. They have sales all the time.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've had the Foodsaver brand, Model V2220 for two or three years. I also buy the rolls so I can make my own bags the size I want. The preformed bags are pretty expensive plus they are a lot wider than I normally need. I have not had any mechanical problem with the machine. There is a possibility the bags won't seal, especially if the produce is wet. Moisture in that sealing area just does not work.

If what you're preserving is dry, no big deal. If it is moist, that vacuum will suck moisture right into the sealing area. Fresh rabbit meat is probably moist. I've found a procedure that solves that, though. I put the produce in the bag with the top unsealed and freeze it. Once the moisture is solid ice, I take one of two out at a time and seal them before the ice becomes liquid. If I have frost in that sealing area, I wipe it out with a dry rag before I run it through the sealing process.

I like mine. I really do. The only meat I've used them for is cooked chicken meat, the stuff I pick off after I make broth. I have to freeze that before I seal it since it is moist. I measure out serving portions of some foods, say cabbage, cauliflower, or broccoli, and package a serving amount. I normally have trouble keeping onions real long, so I chopped a bunch, tray froze them so they don't freeze in a lump, and sealed them. I keep a zip loc bag of chopped onions in the refrigerator freezer and use them. When I run out of those, I open another vacuum sealed bag and refill the zip loc. They don't get freezer burn that way. Same thing with green peas. My wife uses a small amount every week in our Wednesday night casserole, so I freeze a bunch and open one at a time so she can use them.

I predict if you get one, you'll use it for more than just rabbit meat.